


The Wolf

by KazuichiKiyotakaAhoy



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Author Is Sleep Deprived, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Kidnapping, M/M, Nonbinary Fujisaki Chihiro, Poisoning, Sorry about that!, Swearing, Taka has an aunt, Taka lives in Alaska, Writer is Slow, Yandere, author is asexual so no horny scenes sorry, finally decided to write it haha, i came up with this idea a while ago, the characters are prolly really ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazuichiKiyotakaAhoy/pseuds/KazuichiKiyotakaAhoy
Summary: Taka is far from home. He never expected Mondo to show up in a place like this.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura, Fujisaki Chihiro/Maizono Sayaka, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg
Comments: 27
Kudos: 95





	1. Morning Time in Utqiagvik

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by “The Wolf” by SIAMES
> 
> This is my first ever work, please go easy on me haha  
> I know the characters are pretty OOC

Taka was up before his alarm had the chance to go off. Sitting up in bed, he let out a soft sigh. It was about 4:28.. make that 4:29 a.m. Rolling out of the warm blankets, the raven haired man shivered. It was very cold out. He wasn’t home, and he wouldn’t be home for a while.

At the ripe young age of 22, Kiyotaka Ishimaru found himself at the top of the world. Utqiagvik, Alaska. A small, remote village bordering the Arctic Ocean. Why was Taka here, you ask? Well, after graduating high school, his aunt on his (now deceased) mother’s side had given him a call.

The frail woman was an immigrant living in the United States. She was lonely, and frankly, she needed help. Taka knew how bad his family’s money situation was, but he was too kind to decline his aunt’s offer. He was the Ultimate Moral Compass, after all. He had to help. There was no way he could just leave her hanging here in a place like this. While he was still planning on getting him and his father out of the gutter, he was going to do what he could to assist his aunt first and foremost. His father would be fine without his aid for a little while longer, right?

Taka pulled back the blinds after getting up out of bed. The sky was pitch black. It was the dead of winter, and Alaska was located in such a place that Utqiagvik never saw sunlight during the cold months. The sun went down in November, and then it didn’t rise again until February. Reminded by this fact, the raven sighed again. Honestly, he didn’t know what he was expecting.

Going through his morning routine, the Ultimate Moral Compass made sure to stay on good time. His aunt was currently ill, so he’d be going into work alone today. He had to be there by 6, when the bakery opened. Kiyotaka Ishimaru… working at a bakery of all places, living in the United States... who would have thought? By 5:25, Taka was bundled up in a jacket. Being sure to take a flashlight with him, he grabbed his keys and his phone before departing the small house he lived in.

**_Each and every day, hiding from the sunshine_ **

**_Wandering in the shade,_ **

**_Not too old, not too young_ **

The shadows looked over. There was no moon to light the path, just the street lights. A couple civilians walked by, snow machines urred in the distance. There was so much snow. There had been a storm the night before, some of the streetlights had been knocked out.

**_Every night again,_ **

**_Dancing with the moonlight_ **

Taka started walking faster. His paranoia was growing for some reason. The darkness always got to him after a while… maybe he should actually take up Chihiro’s advice and order one of those Happy Lights… Taka had to remind himself that there was nothing to be afraid of. He’s lived there long enough that everyone knew him. He knew everyone. It might have been early in the morning, but that shouldn’t waver so much fear. After all, he used to make early morning walks to school every day back in Japan! How was this any different?

**_Somewhere far away,_ **

**_I can hear your call…_ **

The bakery came into view. It was small, almost dainty-looking compared to the other buildings surrounding it. As Taka came closer and closer to it, he felt as if someone was watching him. Like there were eyes crawling on his back. It unnerved him.

Walking up to the bakery’s doors, Taka hastily brought out his keys. With gloved hands, he unlocked the entrance and quickly made his way inside. He reached a hand over to the light switch as he came in.  _ Click. _ Damnit. Nothing happened. The blizzard last night must have knocked out the power. The fridge in the back probably ran all of the generator’s fuel.

Still unable to shake the feeling of eyes on him, Taka started for the backroom to check on the generator. Using the flashlight to guide him, the man was eventually crouched down beside the electrical aid. His ruby eyes widened in shock.

**_I’m out of my head_ **

**_Of my heart,_ **

**_And my mind_ **

The generator whirred to life. It was on a full tank, as if it hadn’t been running all night. As if the power literally  _ just _ went out. Taka hesitated. Should he go check the power box? The generator was obviously fine, so why was the power out?

Gulping down his uneasy nerves, Taka forced himself to venture outside. He went around to the back of the small building, frowning as he could see footsteps left in the snow. As he shone his flashlight over the powerbox, his heart sunk at the cut power cables.

**_‘Cause you can run but you can’t hide_ **

The uneasy, paranoid feeling only grew in Taka’s stomach. The feeling of eyes was now clawing at his back, sending waves of shivers up and down his spine. Taka started to realize that his paranoia might as well been precedented. Before he could even begin to make any moves, he felt a large hand touch his shoulder.

**_I’m gonna make you mine_ **

“Ya alright, Taka?”

Taka jumped maybe a foot. “Oh my-“ he whirled around and had to immediately look upwards. His shock only grew at the sight of lavender eyes.  _ “Oowada?!” _

“Hey, Ishi.” Mondo chuckled. He looked tired. He was very bundled up and carrying a flashlight with him. It was a wonder that Taka didn’t notice him earlier. “It’s very dark here, Ishi. You’re gonna look like a fuckin’ vampire by the time ya come back home.”

The smaller male was still bewildered at Mondo simply  _ being _ there. “What are you-  _ how  _ did you-?!” He kept cutting himself off before trying to shake off his shock. “I mean, I’m flattered but Oowa-“

“Fujisaki.” Mondo waved a hand dismissively. “They helped me find ya. I wanted it to be a surprise.” He gave Taka a tired smile.

Taka squinted his eyes slightly. This entire situation was already odd to begin with.. but Mondo’s mannerisms.. Taka found it off-putting. Something wasn’t right. A surprise? Was Mondo really that type? To come all the way here, too… Taka decided to voice his confusion. “A surprise? Pardon me, but I did not figure you the type for such things…” he gave a bashful laugh, watching as Mondo shifted slightly in his boots.

“I’m not, really,” the biker chuckled lightly, “but I wanted to make my bro happy.” He gave an uncharacteristically soft smile. It only sunk Taka further into suspicion. Don’t get him wrong, Taka was really happy to see Mondo! But… something was strange. Something wasn’t right.

“Oh, I see…” Taka ripped his gaze from Mondo after he realized he was analyzing him a bit too much. “..Awee…”

Mondo didn’t seem to notice the conflicted look in Taka’s eyes. He waved his flashlight over to the powerbox behind the smaller man, tutting. “Looks like someone cut the power.”

“Uh, yes! Quite the shame, isn’t it? Especially since it’s just so cold, and-“ as if in a sudden realization, Taka once again cut himself off. This time, though, he had stepped forward and latched onto one of Mondo’s arms. “Oh my goodness, Oowada! It’s nearly negative twenty-eight, we need to get you inside right now!”

Dragging Mondo into the bakery, the lights flickered to life thanks to the generator. After running to the back to crank up the heaters, Taka sat Mondo down at a barstool beside the counter. Giving the biker another bashful grin, Taka excused himself to make sure the various baked treats were alright. Mondo surveyed the area as Taka scurried about, seemingly unfazed by the cold he had just endured.

**_Out of my head_ **

**_Of my heart_ **

**_And my mind_ **

Eventually, Taka came back to the counter. Leaning on it, he eyed his bro carefully. “So, Oowada, what made you decide to pay me a visit, anyway? I thought you hated the cold?”

Mondo shrugged, “It ain’t too bad, really. I’ve had colder.”

_ No you haven’t, _ Taka mused to himself,  _ You’ve probably had to deal with maybe 12 to 5° at the coldest…  _ He shook his head in dismissal. “Well… it is truly nice to see you! Long plane ride, yes?”

“It was fine.”

“And all for such an underwhelming little town such as this?”

“It’s all worth it, Taka.” Mondo smiled again.

The sinking feeling of anxiety was back in Taka’s stomach. This wasn’t Mondo. He didn’t act like this  _ at all.  _ He was honestly starting to worry. “Right…” Taka felt a twinge of guilt at how passive aggressive the word came out. “Um, would you like a doughnut or something?”

“Sure, I guess.” A smirk slipped onto Mondo’s face. “Might as well see what yer baking is like.” He said the last part in a bit of a teasing tone, “Chihiro told me that you’re one of the bakers here, after all.”

Taka fumbled a bit, “Uh, most of the food here is prepared by my aunt.. I just do most of the managing and packaging..” He gave a soft sigh. “Anyway, have a flavor in mind?”

“Got any chocolate?” Mondo took out his wallet and flipped through his credit cards.

“Oh! No, nono, you don’t have to!” Taka waved his hands with a bit of urgency. “You came all this way and probably paid good money. It’s on the house.” He handed Mondo the doughnut.

“Aren’t ya going to eat somethin’, too?”

“Hm?”

Mondo gestured to the various goods in the room. “Why not eat one? I’m eating.”

“Well, it’s not  _ mine  _ to eat. I have customers, y’know!”

Mondo looked around the room and shrugged, “Well, they’re not here  _ now,  _ are they? Just go for it!”

Taka raised an eyebrow at him. “Why are you so insistent?”

“Take it as...” Mondo waved the doughnut around lightly, “How do I know if you’re not gonna poison me with this doughnut?”

Taka laughed, “What??”

“Ya wouldn’t eat your own poison, would ya?”

Rolling his eyes, Taka picked out a brownie for himself. “Well... I guess you got me there, chief.” 

As he was setting the brownie down, he heard something fall over in the back. He whirled around. “Oh crap! That was probably the flour...!”

He ran into the backroom and muttered to himself scoldingly as he cleaned up. Mondo didn’t follow behind, which he was thankful for due to the mess. When he returned, the other male was quietly finishing up his baked treat.

“Sorry about that!” Taka picked up the brownie. “The flour fell over.”

“Ah.” Mondo’s expression was far away.

“Is something wrong?”

They made eye contact and shivers went down Taka’s spine.

“No, nothin’. It’s just...” Mondo looked away. “I’m sorry, Ishi.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Well, you wouldn’t eat  _ yer own  _ poison, right?”

Taka’s vision went blurry.

**_‘Cause I can feel how your flesh now,_ **

**_Is crying out for more_ **

  
  



	2. Woodstove Lighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka has woken up from being poisoned, but where is he, exactly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl I wasn’t very proud of this one. Sorry if it’s not as good as last chapter!

A soft gust of chilled wind was all it took to awaken Taka back to the land of the living. His head was pounding, and his body was aching as if he had been kept still for a long while. He cracked his eyes open, squinting as he was met with only more darkness.

“...huh..?” Taka took a moment to collect himself. He was dazed for a couple more seconds before his mind went the natural direction of wondering what had happened.

The events prior to his sudden “nap” quickly came flooding back to him. He sprang forward, gazing around the unfamiliar setting as best he could. Wait.. where was he? What had happened? He was just talking to Mondo in the bakery when…

Taka was in an old, creaky bed. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the dim blue-grey lighting coming from the window, he could observe his surroundings more clearly. The bed itself was obviously old and run down. The sheets and mattress appeared new, all white and cheap-looking. The window to the left of his bed was ever so slightly cracked open, which was why there was a faint flow of wind coming through. The window itself looked like it was frozen over. Looking at the room, the floor was wooden planked. The walls matched, but appeared darker in color, as if they’d been painted. Taka came to the conclusion that he was in a cabin of some sort.

Turning to slowly roll out of bed, Taka first checked the floors for any signs of a trap. He looked calm, but he was really freaking out. The moments before he passed out were fuzzy. Did someone break in? Was Mondo ok??

Tip-toeing around the room, Taka located a heater in the right-hand corner, about 5 feet away from the bed. It was a space heater, so Taka was led to believe the cabin didn’t have good ventilation in regards to heat. But… that also meant that whoever brought him here cared whether or not he was warm. Speaking of that…

Feeling the chill of the night air on his back, Taka quickly went over to the window. It was probably a good idea to get a gage on his surroundings, after all. He was able to confirm that the window was frozen, as it refused to open further or close among him attempting to wriggle it around. Looking out of it, Taka assumed he was at least one story up. The area around the cabin seemed heavily wooded and very snowy. Off in the distance, the Ultimate Moral Compass could spot a mass of lights. A city…

But, Taka obviously was no longer in Utqiagvik. Up there, it was a desert. No trees, very dry, flat… where was he?? Taka immediately patted himself down to check for his phone, but it appeared that he’d lost it. He’d lost his wallet, too, and even the pepper spray he’d usually bring with him. 

Running a hand through his hair, Taka checked around the room one more time. It was rather barren. Other than the bed and the heater, it had nothing in it aside from a small nightstand drawer on the left side of the bed. There was nothing in the drawers. There was also nothing under the bed.

After thoroughly checking everything once or twice, Taka looked towards the last remaining object: the door. He took a deep breath. He was trained in self defense, he knew how to fight. And Mondo could be in trouble! He had to figure out what was going on, stat! Wishing himself luck, he started taking cautious steps towards the door. He reached a hand towards the handle and gently turned, his heartbeat picking up with every movement. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.

Upon opening the door, Taka was met with a wave of heat. There was the faint sound of fire crackling in the distance, presumably from a fireplace or even a wood stove. He stepped out into somewhat of a mezzanine level, almost like a balcony overviewing a small living room. Looking to the right, there appeared to be one other room on the mezzanine level. The door was closed. Moving on swift feet, Taka snuck his way past the door. The stairs were against the wall to the far right, and they creaked and groaned as Taka stepped over them. 

With every creak, Taka gave a soft flinch and looked around for a couple moments before continuing down. It was hard to see, the lighting was a dim golden coming from the woodstove, which was mounted in the living room. As Taka came slowly down the stairs, he peered around the edge of the steps towards the room directly under the mezzanine level. The outlines of the counters and middle island gave the room away as the kitchen. It looked like the cabin was empty, but Taka had yet to see what was inside the second room on the upstairs level. There was a soft clank as Taka’s snow boots came in contact with the wooden planks of the first floor. Here, the wood wasn’t as creaky. He came walking over to the windows. It was definitely dark out, but with Alaska being Alaska, he had no idea what time it was. He would have checked his watch, but… He had upgraded to a Smartwatch a couple weeks prior, so his captor had probably seen it as a threat. 

Taka went towards the door but paused. There was no way in hell it would be that easy. There was just no way… right? Taking a deep breath, Taka advanced towards the door. Touching a hand to the knob, he noticed an object mounted on the top of the door from the corner of his eye. Looking directly at it, it became clear the object was a motion sensor. Of course it was too easy… Taka bit his lip, glancing over the windows. They, too had the sensors on them. He would try to take them off, but.. Who knew what that would cause. 

Suddenly, the sound of a phone alarm started ringing from inside the closed room. Whirling around, Taka’s gaze was fixed upwards as he heard someone moving around. He was in plain sight- what was he gonna do?? The doorknob twisted.

Taka couldn’t believe it.

“Oowada?!”


	3. Dilated Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka’s just had a shock. Poor boy. He asks Mondo for an explanation on the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the delay! I’ve had a lot going on! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon!  
> Also, Happy New Year, everyone!

Taka felt himself pause, and everything in his head suddenly closed into a blank. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. No way… no way in hell did he see Mondo Oowada standing at the doorframe of the second bedroom. Mondo seemed surprised himself, blinking slowly as he took a step out of the room. His appearance seemed a little messy; his hair was pooled around his shoulders and his coat was off, leaving him in his usual tank top.

“Uh.. Taka… hey, Ishi, I, uh…” he fumbled a bit for his words before shaking his head with a short laugh. “Good mornin’.”

Taka stood staring at him for a while, at a complete loss. His memory was very fuzzy, but… he furrowed his eyebrows as he glared hard at Mondo, both his hands going straight to his hips. “Oowada where in the world am I?! Were we both perhaps abducted?? I thought someone knocked us out and- and-!!” Taka took a second to make an emphatic gesture with his hands, “I don’t know, but-“

As Taka continued to ramble in great confusion, Mondo felt a lightbulb go off in his head. “Huh...Huh? Oh, yeah, yes, that.” He cut Taka off, who halted in his worried rambling to stare at Mondo, his eyes wide and uncertain. “I woke up a couple hours ago, man. We’re kinda stuck in here.”

“Stuck? Are you talking about the censors on the doors and windows??” Taka took in a sharp breath, a sinking feeling in his chest. Something was telling him that Mondo was acting really off, but the whole situation was too bizarre to question it too much.

“Yeah. Not to mention it’s cold as all hell outside n shit, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to leave anyway.”

Taka nodded, the sinking feeling only becoming worse and worse. “Wait, I heard a phone alarm. Mondo, do you have your phone still??” He started to run back up the stairs, causing Mondo to quickly shrink back into the room. When Taka made it up there, Mondo gave a bashful smile as he pointed towards the phone.

“No service, see?” Mondo pointed towards the phone, “I set an alarm to remind me to put more wood in the woodstove. If I’m gonna be fuckin’ stuck here, I want to be warm.”

Mondo was… acting awful okay for someone who just got kidnapped. And Taka knew the biker had a temper, so… Taka bit his lip. “...Ah… I… see? Kyoudai.. come here.”

The biker blinked. “Wha..?

“Come here.”

Not being able to tell the prefect “no,” Mondo gave a soft sigh as he slowly came sauntering up to Taka’s side. “What di- ow!”

In a swift motion, Taka had stood up on his toes and took a fistful of Mondo’s bangs. He tilted Mondo’s head towards him, and he was gazing into Mondo’s eyes with an overly concerned expression.

“Uh….” Mondo cleared his throat. “What’re ya…?” 

Taka shushed him, taking a couple more seconds to search his face before slowly reeling away. “K-Kyoudai, I think you might’ve been hit in the head… your eyes are super dilated..”

“Huh?”

“Perhaps you have a concussion? This is really bad.. I don’t know how to help you…” Taka bit his lip, lost in thought for a moment. That could be the reason Mondo was acting so nonchalant, he wasn’t healthy!

As Taka was heading to his conclusion, Mondo’s brain was racing for what to do next. This was risky- too risky. How the hell did he completely space over this?? Of course there would be questions- of course Taka would be panicked! Mondo had jumped on the first thing that came to mind: his “I’m also a prisoner” story. But what now? What next? Why was he such an idiot as to not look far enough ahead? Mondo didn’t have any time to brainstorm, though, as Taka grabbed his attention again.

“Oowada, did our captor leave anything for us? Did you see them? What did they want from us?”

“I didn’t see em, Ishi. They didn’t even leave a fuckin’ note… there is food downstairs, though…” Mondo swayed a bit, trying to play into the “concussed” state that Taka had come up with. “Whoever it is, they expect us to stay… I’m sure they’ll be back…” he gave a weak laugh, studying Taka’s body language.

The other man looked tense. “They...they’ll be back, then. And we can wait until due time to reason with them.” Taka took a sharp breath in, his ruby eyes meeting Mondo’s lavender. The biker’s eyes were so dilated as they stared almost intensely at Taka. It worried him.

“They’ll be back, Taka.” Mondo assured with a small smile, reading Taka’s concern like a book. “They’ll be here.”


	4. Short-Lived Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka convinces Mondo to leave the mysterious cabin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s like 4:40 am as I’m posting this, so I will fully admit that it’s most certainly not proofread haha  
> Anyway, hopefully it’s still readable! Hope y’all like it!

_ “They’ll be here.” _

Taka was holding onto that hope for dear life. He needed something to cling onto right now, and for obvious reasons. Mondo seemed to be recovering from his “head injury,” so that was good. But.. what  _ wasn’t  _ good was the fact that the sun slowly started to climb in the horizon, and nothing. How long would it take for their captor to arrive? Would Taka be stranded with Mondo for days? Weeks?  _ Months?  _ His poor aunt was going to be worried sick! And his father, god, his father did  _ not  _ need something like this happening. Takaaki did not need to hear that his immigrant son went missing. Especially in a place like Alaska.

The sun’s light was soft. It gave a gentle pink glow, the snow draping the land and the trees appearing a peachish, rosy hue. It looked dreamish. Taka, he… hadn’t seen the sun for a while. The fact that he was seeing it now meant that he definitely was no longer around Utqiagvik, or even in the same area. Though.. he had already assumed as much earlier, taking that his surroundings were wooded, and there was a large city whose lights glinted hazily in the distance. With the minimal amount of sunlight, Taka slowly pieced it together. 

It.. it was Fairbanks. It  _ had  _ to be. Mondo had stated that his phone didn’t have service, but Taka had still hit the home screen button to show the time. 11:13. And if the sun was rising, that meant a.m. And.. if the sun was  _ still _ rising, and still just  _ hardly  _ scraping the surface of the horizon and giving any light at all, it meant that he was still in northern Alaska. Or, at least, he hoped. It was a somewhat educated guess, but it was the only conclusion he could draw his mind to. Fairbanks was the only  _ big _ city of northern Alaska, so of course he would assume the lights far off were from it.

“Kyoudai…” Taka gave a soft murmur as he stared out the window. “It’s been a couple hours.”

“They’ll be here,” Mondo repeated from the kitchen area. He seemed to have read Taka’s mind. “There’s no way that-“

“Oowada,  _ stop!”  _ Taka had whirled around to face Mondo, his bottom lip trembling a bit. Mondo’s lavender eyes seemed to widen in a bit of surprise. Before he could open his mouth to ask what was wrong, Taka beat him to the punch. “You- you are way too calm, Kyoudai! Do you not understand the situation we are in? You are not even an immigrant here- it is very likely your missing persons case is one that will  _ not  _ be able to be processed!” Taka ran a hand through his raven hair, his eyes tearing up. It was as if his fears were finally starting to process all at once.

“I cannot afford to stay here, Kyoudai! I cannot be entrapped in an unknown place, I  _ must _ find a way out!”

“But there’s sensors on the doors and windows, Ishi,” Mondo reminded, “what are we supposedta do when we’re gettin’ fuckin’ attacked after leavin’?”

A tear rolled down Taka’s face. “So be it! I  _ must  _ get home!” The more Taka thought about the situation, the weirder it got. How he got there, the way Mondo was acting, none of it made sense. And  _ why?  _ Why was any of this happening to begin with?

Taka took once last longing glance through the window. The city was far away, but he at least had that to rely on. If he could  _ just _ make it there…

“What are ya plannin’, Ishimaru?” He heard Mondo’s voice call curiously from over his shoulder, “are.. ya seriously just gonna dip? Yer not gonna wait?”

To that, Taka’s answer was pretty straightforward. “The Mondo Oowada that  _ I know  _ wouldn’t have thought twice about waiting. It is the captor’s fault for leaving us unattended. Fu..” Taka paused, “Screw the sensors. There is daylight for now, we should make use of it.”

Looking over his shoulder, Taka met Mondo’s uncertain gaze. Why was Mondo still acting so.. weird? So uncertain?  _ Why didn’t he want to leave? _

“Oowada… are.. you scared?”

“Huh?” Mondo perked up a bit at Taka’s inquiry, tilting his head. “What do you…?”

“Why are you so bent on waiting? Our feelings should be flipped, shouldn’t they?” Taka pressed on, trying to get answers. “I should be the one wanting to reason, and you should be the one rushing to escape, so… why are you so reluctant?”

Mondo was quiet for a bit. If Taka didn’t know any better, he would have said that Mondo looked like he was thinking something over.

“I… just want to make sure yer safe, Ishi. Who knows whose keepin’ us here… who knows what they’re gonna do when we try ta escape…”

To that, Taka felt himself freeze. That.. was actually really sweet… he didn’t realize Mondo was trying to protect him, and he felt a bit bad. “Oh.. I am sorry, Kyoudai, I didn’t realize…” he trailed off before shaking his head. “I appreciate your concern, Oowada, but the two of us are strong enough to hold our own. We must get out of here while we still can! Perhaps the chance of escape will dwindle if we wait!”

Mondo’s gaze seemed to harden, but his shoulders dipped with a deep sigh. “I… alright, Ishi… but I don’t think we’re gonna make it to the city before dark.”

“That’s probably true. We should look around for potential supplies. We should bring some of the food that the captors provided.”

With that, it was settled. The two men scrambled around the cabin, picking up various objects that could have been deemed useful. Taka still had an unnerved feeling about Mondo, but he honestly couldn’t even begin to wonder why.

Eventually, the two were standing in front of the door. Taka eyed the sensors, shifting a backpack of supplies resting on his shoulders. He looked up at Mondo, his ruby eyes a bit narrowed. Mondo seemed indifferent, his expression unreadable. 

“Alright then, Ishi.. lets.. get the fuck outta here.” Mondo reaches for the doorknob, not even stopping to check the sensors as he swung open the door.

As Taka felt the harsh chill of the outside air, he felt himself relax just a little. They.. just had to make it to the city. And then everything would be fine, right? Yeah…

_ Hopefully... _


	5. Red Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys continue their hike to the city. They have an awkward conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaAaaaAAAAAAA  
> Really sorry for the delay, everyone! A lot’s been goin’ on irl for me haha  
> Man, writing this chapter made me miss Fairbanks lol  
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy this one!!

  
  


Over the course of his time living in Utqiagvik, Taka had gotten used to the unforgiving cold of Alaska. Mondo was a different story. Taka could hear his companion’s teeth chattering after hardly five minutes of treading. He kept opening his mouth to ask if Mondo wanted the hat he was wearing, but no words came out of him. Mondo would just say no, anyway.

The snow crunched softly below them. The farther they got from the house, the deeper the snow became. Luckily for the duo, their boots kept them from sinking down too far. Aside from their breathing and the snow, it was eerily silent. Taka glanced up at his former classmate.

“Kyoudai,” his voice was barely above a whisper. “Um….” Taka had an awkward moment of realization. This would be the first time him and Mondo actually got to… talk… since this whole fiasco happened. It wasn’t like he and Mondo were strangers at all, but would it really be okay to strike up a casual conversation? Probably not…

“Yes, Taka?” Mondo’s voice held a hint of a chuckle in it. It seemed to waver due to the cold, which was understandable. Maybe a conversation would help distract from the stinging sensation they were both getting in their fingers.

“It’s just…” Taka chose his words carefully. “Hello, Oowada.. it’s been a while.”

“A greeting?” Mondo raised an eyebrow, laughing softly. His breath was misted. “Ya feelin’ alright, Ishi?”

“Yes, of course,” Taka huffed, “we haven’t gotten to hold a decent conversation since all of this came about. I figured we should try starting over.” 

There was a slight pause, both men feeling awkward. Taka took a chance to survey the area while Mondo gave a simple sigh.

“I… yeah. I can’t fault ya there, Ishi.” Mondo gave a light shrug, “so.. uh.. where to begin…”

“Let’s see,” Taka hummed in thought, stumbling for a second over a stray twig. “Well, I moved here not too long after graduation. My aunt’s business was starting to go under, and she wanted my help.” He fumbled with the braided strings of his hat, “I had no idea how _I_ was supposed to help, but I couldn’t say no.”

“Of course ya couldn’t say no.” Mondo patted the smaller man’s back with a hearty laugh, “Yer too much of a goody-goody. Sayin’ no woulda been bad on your psyche.”

“Perhaps…” Taka’s lips hinted at a smile for a second. “It wasn’t necessarily what I was _planning_ on, but, here I am..!” 

“Here ya are,” Mondo repeated, chuckling at Taka’s tone. “How’s it fairing for ya so far? Y’know, aside from this whole thing.” The biker gave an almost knowing grin, “Does this happen often?” He joked, earning a deadpan look from Taka.

“ _No,_ this doesn’t happen often.” Taka rolled his eyes, but a smile found a way to his face. “It’s been fine here, actually… I have been getting out a lot more than I did back in Japan. I have been going on a lot of flights, all of which have been just to go different places in-state.”

“Ah.” Mondo looked over at Taka, tilting his head, “is it always this cold?”

“No, Oowada.” Taka chuckled, “it is quite hot come summertime.”

“Good, because I was worried you were livin’ in fuckin’ igloo land.” Mondo laughed, “I wasn’t expecting it to be so dark, y’know?”

“Silly, it is simple geography.” The raven gave a short sigh, though it seemed to be an amused one. Taka then looked over at Mondo, staring for a bit. Mondo didn’t seem to notice, as his focus was on the wilderness around them. “So… Kyoudai…” Taka started, “how have _you_ been? What have you been up to?” He gave an inquisitive smile, “this is the part where you expand upon the conversation, you know.”

“Hey!” Mondo feint offense, “I _have_ been conversing, haven’t I?” He took a moment to ruffle Taka’s hair, though he technically just ruffled the hat atop his head. “Nah, nah. I get what ya mean. Life’s been kinda the same shit for me, though.”

“Surely, you can’t be implying that it is the exact same as it was in high school..”

“No- nono.” Mondo looked bashful, “Well, I mean, yeah. Mostly the same shit, minus school shit. Just a touch of new shit.”

“What’s the new stuff, then?” Taka gave a light chuckle, smiling as Mondo’s face spelt his embarrassment. “Oowada, know that I don’t judge you. If you’re still trying to work things out, it is alright!”

“Well?” Mondo thought about it for a moment. “The gang’s doin’ good. They’ve all been askin’ about ya, y’know. About where ya’ve been ‘n shit.”

“Oh.. how sweet..?” Taka raised an eyebrow, looking over at Mondo curiously. The gang asked about him..? Why would someone like _him_ have left an impression on members of a literal _biker gang?_

Mondo’s next words didn’t answer Taka’s unspoken question. “Other than that, I, myself have been doin’ a bit of freelancin’.”

“Freelancing?”

“Construction work, carpentry stuff. Hell, I even finagled my way into givin’ a motorbike class last summer.”

Taka held a look of surprise on his face as he looked over, “Really? To what age group?”

“Kids, prolly around eight to ten? Eleven, maybe?”

“Oowada!” A bright smile was written on Taka’s freckled face. “I never knew you liked kids!”

Mondo’s face went red, “well- it’s not- I don’t-“ he fumbled with his words, looking over at his smaller companion. “I…” with a smile, he gave up. “Yeah. I do like kids, the little rascals..” he laughed softly, “I dunno, Ishi. I haven’t been doin’ too much.”

“Well, neither have I, all things considered.” Taka hummed in thought. “I have been taking college courses online, working, a bit of traveling here and there…” he patted Mondo’s shoulder. “So do not feel like you need to impress me.”

“Yeah.. thanks.” The biker scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t want to come off soundin’ like a low life biker, y’know?”

Taka frowned, recognizing the phrase as something his father had commented about Mondo. “My father was just worried about me. Even now, he no longer has that opinion on you.”

“I know. I’m just sayin’.”

The conversation dwindled to a close from there, both men now shifting their focus on the swarm of lights ahead, just hardly glinting through the trees. The sky was quickly getting dark. Mondo shrugged out of the backpack he was wearing, shuffling through it for the flashlight he had brought, he took it out and clicked it on. Giving the flashlight to Taka, Mondo dug through a bit farther till his hand brushed against a box. He was able to get it open and pulled out two candy bars. They were a bit cold.

“Here, Ishi.” Mondo struggled to unwrap the bars with his gloved hands, but he managed. He tossed Taka one of the bars before taking a generously sized bite out of his own. The two took a couple moments to eat and catch their breath, though it was slowly getting colder out.

“Should we try to start a fire?” Taka questioned.

Mondo looked around, his gaze landing on the swarm of lights in the distance. “...we should probably rest, yeah. It’s still gonna be a damn while before we reach.. what was it called again?”

“Fairbanks- _If_ I’m correct, that is.”

“Yeah, that place. It’s gonna be a while.” Mondo sighed. “Let’s find a better place to settle, ok?”

It took a couple more minutes, but the duo eventually found a safe, sort of secure place to bunker down. Mondo insisted that he get the firewood (which comprised of only sticks and twigs, really) while Taka took a moment to rest and drink some water. When Mondo came back, he nodded towards the backpack.

“In there, I packed some matches and a fire starter.”

“Fire starter?”

“It’s this half-circle lookin’ thing. You’ll find it.” Mondo settled down, an abundant amount of sticks and twigs in his hold.

Taka tossed Mondo the starter and the box of matches, shivering softly as Mondo quickly got to work. The fire was small and the sticks seemed a bit stubborn to light.

“It’s prolly ‘cause of all this fuckin’ snow,” Mondo explained, “sticks are wet.”

Eventually, a fire was going. Taka’s gloves were off, his hands stretched out towards the fire. The cold nipped at his nose, giving his face a pinkish tint. Other than the crackling of the fire, it was quiet between him and Mondo. The two seemed to be off in their own little worlds.

As Taka was lost in thought, a sudden movement caught his attention. He had gotten a glimpse of orange and grey. Whipping his head to the side, he quickly let out a sigh of relief. A couple yards off from the men was a fox. It looked older, and it’s coat was puffed up, fluffy from the winter season. The fox seemed to disregard and ignore the human duo, settling itself down into a ball.

“Oowada…” Taka whispered, “look…”

Mondo looked up from his intense staring at the fire, making a soft “mmh?” sound. He followed Taka’s gaze and seemed to freeze, his expression turning from shock to fondness. “Oh wow..”

“I am surprised it is so comfortable lying there with us here.” Taka whispered, his ruby eyes gazing in wonder. “I have never really seen foxes in the wild before, well, aside from the arctic fox I saw about a year ago.”

“I’ve seen ‘em wild back in Japan.” Mondo gave a soft chuckle, “me and some of the boys went hikin’.. saw one.”

Humming his response, the Moral Compass quietly shifted his position, watching as the fox licked at its paws. It looked up and met Taka’s eyes for a moment before resting its head down on the snow.

“It looks older,” Mondo commented, “ya think it’s lonely?”

“Probably not,” Taka took a moment to look between Mondo and the fox, “I am sure it’s feeling quite peaceful.”

They watched the old fox for a little longer before the quiet canine stood on its paws, gracefully gliding back off into the trees. Taka gave Mondo a small smile as it left, part of him a bit sad to see it go.

“Are you ready to continue on?”

Mondo wiped his bangs from his face, staring silently at the still-flickering fire for a second longer. “Yeah, Ishi.” He decided, “let’s reach this goddamn city already.”

Stomping out the fire with snow and their boots, the two once again clicked on their flashlight before treading back off into the forest, the night sky looming above them.


End file.
